1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aircraft having systems for directing outside air into a passenger cabin in the fuselage to effect ventilation thereof and, more particularly, to a cover/air flow blockage plate that can be removably placed over a vent/air intake opening in the wing to prevent the incoming of air through the vent/air intake opening to the cabin.
2. Background Art
To provide external air to passengers in small aircraft, it is known to provide a vent/air intake opening in the leading edge of the aircraft wing and to communicate incoming air at the vent/air intake opening through a conduit into the passenger cabin. The following are aircraft that use such a system: Cessna's Model Nos. 140, 150, 152, 170, 172, 180, 182 and 207. These models are only exemplary of aircraft that employ such ventilating systems.
A regulator on the inside of the cabin allows the occupants thereof to select the desired amount of incoming external air. However, the internal regulators for these ventilation systems are normally not made to completely seal off air flow. While this is not a problem in warm weather, when the air is cold, the leakage of cold air into the cabin can make the climate in the cabin uncomfortable.
To avoid the undesired inflow of cold air, it is common for aircraft owners to provide makeshift covers for the vent/air intake opening in the wall at the leading edge of the wing. Typically, the aircraft owner will place one or more pieces of duct tape over the vent to effect sealing thereof. Not only is the tape ineffective in terms of its inability to positively adhere to the wing without affecting the finish thereof, but the tape may also alter the lift characteristics of the wing. The use of duct tape is not approved by the FAA, but to date, for want of a better solution, the tape has been the common solution to the problem of leakage of cold air into the cabin through the conventional ventilation systems.